The man who carried the voice of Quebec employers under the leadership of Prime Ministers René Lévesque, Robert Bourassa, Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard is no more.
Ghislain Dufour, former president of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), died recently, the association announced on Monday. Mr. Dufour had been “its main spokesperson” for nearly 28 years, from 1969 to 1997. He then worked at the National public relations firm until his retirement in 2014.
“Mr. Dufour’s legacy is indisputable because he is credited with founding the CPQ in its current form,” said current CPQ President and CEO Karl Blackburn. By holding the position of Director General and then President and Chief Executive Officer for nearly three decades, Mr. Dufour carried the voice of employers in pivotal years in the history of Québec. »
Born in 1934 in Matane, Ghislain Dufour obtained a master’s degree in industrial relations from the University of Montreal. At the CPQ, he carried the voice of employers during many societal debates that shaped Quebec, whether when labor relations were strained in the 1970s, during constitutional and linguistic debates or even during the establishment of the Balanced Budget Act by the Bouchard government.
Former Premier Jean Charest called Mr. Dufour a “leader in business and labor relations.” ” [Il] has been a model of excellence, intelligence and generosity. The Quebec Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet, underlined that he had contributed to “evolving the Quebec work environment”.
The director of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors, Manon Poirier, deplores the loss of “a giant of the profession”. She adds that “for three decades, he made a significant contribution to the development of the business world and labor relations in Quebec”.
In 2000, Ghislain Dufour noted that labor relations had clearly improved compared to the tumultuous 1970s, during an interview granted to The Press as part of the launch of his book. “We have no idea how labor relations have improved. Today, the imprisonment of trade union leaders would be unthinkable. At that time, people did not talk to each other. Today it is almost the opposite. Not only do people talk to each other, but sometimes they talk to each other too much. »